Coreune
Coreune is a Republic located on the continent just across the strait from Barlovia. Coreune combines extremely advanced technology and extensive infrastructure, a refined and mannered court of royals, and a corrupt and oppressive police force. Culture Coreune is notable for a strict divide between the upper and lower classes. The Upper Class includes the nobility (which is inherited) and the wealthy. While the "old money" of nobility carries more status and notoriety than the "new money" of the wealthy, there is little practical difference between the two groups, aside from the fact that members of the nobility often carry massive debt and are not actually rich. However, since membership in the upper class is based primarily on wealth, appearances must be maintained, and so large amounts of money are spent on status symbols. Members of the upper class often own vast estates employing dozens of live-in servants in a pseudo-feudal structure. The lower classes are proportionally poorer - the great wealth and economic successes of Coreune have resulted in a wealthier citizenry than most other countries of the world, but this is nothing compared to the vast fortunes of Coreune's true rich. The lower classes have overthrown the nobility several times in the country's past, only to later lose power to the aristocracy. There is much fear among the rich that the citizenry may revolt again; thus, a great deal of resources have been spent on Coreune's police force, the DSS (Directorate of State Security). The DSS owns and operates the world's largest network of analytical engines. These engines are used to root out revolutionaries, monitor "persons of interest", and analyze crime statistics, as well as other related processes. With such a network in place, the DSS has a great deal of power over the commoners of Coreune. Even a minor breach of the law will result in not only punishment but also a mandatory "interview" with a DSS agent. These agents attempt to find links between criminals, and when these links cannot be found, they are sometimes fabricated. Geography * Map of Coreune Coreune is a rich land of scattered hills, low mountains, fertile valleys and forests. Flat land is rare - much of the landscape is rolling terrain, with occasional escarpments and rougher hills. For the most part, Coreunean geography resembles a bullseye, with the Piarran Mountains at the center. These mountains are marked by dense forests, sharp ridges, steep hillsides, and numerous palisades, but high mountain peaks are rare. Several chains of hills surround the Piarran Mountains on all sides. Dairy farms and wheatfields fill the narrow valleys, while vineyards and pastureland occupy the ridges. Small groves of oak and beech trees can be found throughout the region. These hills are the heart of Coreune, and are home to much of its population. The coastal regions surround the hill country. The hills flatten out to a gently rolling plain, before dropping precipitously toward the ocean. Seaside cliffs are common. Most of Coreune's cities are in this region, usually at the mouths of rivers. Cantons Coreune is divided into 14 cantons, each overseen by an earl. Some cantons have changed over time as a matter of royal discretion. Lesser nobles supervise smaller regions (known as manors or townships) within the cantons subject to the vagaries of local customs, family inheritances, and royal decree. Some earls spend little time in the provinces they govern and devote their attention entirely to Vaultier: Category:Regions Category:Locations